Ten hooligans up for fan murder
A total of 26 people have been identified as having taken part in a mass brawl between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos fans last March and 10 of these are set to stand trial for allegedly killing a man during the clash, according to the results of a prosecutors investigation made public yesterday. Panathinaikos fan Michalis Filopoulos was beaten and stabbed to death in Paeania, east of Athens, during some of the most violent fighting between hooligans that Greece has experienced. The pitched battle had been prearranged by fans of both clubs and took place before a women’s volleyball match. Prosecutor Aristides Fragiadakis suggests in his report that high-ranking hooligans on both sides had been planning the meeting for a number of days. Of those that the prosecutor recommends should stand trial, 25 are Olympiakos fans and one is a Panathinaikos fan. Ten of the Olympiakos fans will likely be charged with participating in the murder of 22-year-old Filopoulos. Five of these fans are allegedly employed by Olympiakos. Two of the 10 suspects thought to have participated in the murder of Filopoulos, a taxi driver and a known drug addict, have been remanded in custody. A musician from the Nikaia neighborhood near Piraeus, where Olympiakos has its roots, is also one of those likely to be charged as the prosecutor has allegedly identified him on mobile phone footage of the incident. The unnamed suspect is seen standing over a bleeding Filopoulos and swearing at him. The investigation has run into a number of legal obstacles and has been hampered by the unwillingness of some hardcore fans who took part in the fight to give information to authorities about other supporters. The case is now in its final phase before coming to court as the 48-page report will be submitted to the Council of Appeal Court Judges, which will decide who should face charges.
